Someone is blowing a bubble of gum.

A bust of a person blowing bubblegum filled a rectangular canvas roughly 110 centimeters tall and 80 centimeters wide, but because the bubble itself was so large, the person's face was hidden entirely. The vivid pink of the background—the kind that seemed like it would emit the sweet scent of a lollipop if you leaned in close—and the blue of the bubble were artificial colors reminiscent of cheap candy, far from anything natural or healthy. That contrast threw Choi Inwu's signature quality into sharp relief: a bizarre cheerfulness, an unsettling cheerfulness, entirely his own.

"The pieces—I heard they're all sold already."

Shushu, who had lingered in front of the bubblegum canvas longer than any of the three works Inwu was presenting at this exhibition, finally spoke.

"He has quite a few fans now. There are even two or three enthusiastic collectors."

"The solo exhibition was really impressive. And everything since then has been great too."

Shushu nodded, as if to say it was only natural.

For his solo exhibition—which also marked Phantom gallery's reopening—Inwu had presented a total of eighteen works. The show was a great success, earning praise for carrying forward his singular individuality while simultaneously revealing a deeper self, a more expansive world, and a serious contemplation of art. Every single piece sold during the exhibition period, which surprised both Liu and Manager Han. Considering the days when one of Inwu's paintings had been among the last remaining works at the Hong Kong Art Fair, the result was nothing short of astonishing.

"Outside of his clinic hours he's almost always in the studio, so it's hard to see him these days."

Shushu smiled at Liu's comment, which had the tone of someone marveling at the unbelievable transformation of a wayward son. The two left the area in front of Inwu's paintings and moved on to the final exhibition room.

During the recent renovation, the second-floor gallery at Phantom had its original concrete wall—the one that had divided the hall into two large rooms—demolished. This made it far easier than before to rearrange the space to suit the nature and scale of each exhibition. Even the placement and size of the windows had been completely redesigned, so that works suited to natural light and those that were not could each be displayed to their best effect.

For this exhibition, the hall was divided into three rooms. Each room was connected to the others through labyrinthine corridors, giving visitors the feeling of embarking on a brief but interesting journey. It was an approach Phantom had never taken in previous exhibitions, which had always centered solely on the artwork itself.

Projected onto the walls of these labyrinthine corridors were the faces of visitors who had come to Phantom over the past three months. Liu had personally photographed those visitors who consented after the purpose of the shoot was explained, and the images were woven together into a video piece. It was his idea for expressing the exhibition's theme: "Variety."

People striking confident, model-like poses. People smiling while shyly covering their mouths. People stiff and rigid. People pulling exaggeratedly funny faces. People gazing comfortably and openly into the lens.

Walking slowly, following the sights of people whose personalities were as varied as their appearances, visitors could eventually reach the final room—where sunlight poured in brightly, like encountering light at the end of a cave.

This was the only exhibition room bathed in natural light. The summer sun pouring through the steeply angled skylight was dazzling. Eyes emerging from the dark corridor needed a moment to adjust. The whole structure had been designed to compress the experience of exiting a tunnel or cave and finally reaching a destination.

"The exhibition planning is excellent. You really put a lot of effort into this one, considering it's the last."

It was true. Ever since the decision to leave Phantom had been made, Liu had poured everything into preparing this exhibition over the past five months, determined to have no lingering regrets. He didn't bother denying it.

"I'm glad I came to see it early today. Once the exhibition opens, it won't feel like this anymore."

Captivated by the quiet exhibition room itself—bathed in a white light so abundant it felt almost unreal—Shushu walked slowly toward the center of the room, taking it all in.

"......"

As he turned to take in each work, his gaze gradually fixed on one piece in particular. It was a work that Ihyeon had sent after obtaining permission from "The Hands" to have it included in Liu's final exhibition at Phantom.

The large-scale piece, which occupied an entire wall of the exhibition room, depicted a bright sky filled with countless stars and suns existing together.

The coexistence of things that could not coexist. All the various beings who already share the world as its members—whether one likes it or not, whether one acknowledges it or not.

Ihyeon's work, which resonated so deeply with the theme of this exhibition, brought to mind his joint project with Ben that had been unveiled last winter. Just as the moon and stars are not the sole rulers of the night sky, the stars do not disappear from the daytime sky simply because they cannot be seen.

It was no accident that Liu had chosen "Variety" as the theme for this exhibition—the first and last he had planned and executed alone at Phantom—nor was it a coincidence that Ihyeon's works, which showed flexible shifts in technique and style, consistently carried an undercurrent of respecting diversity and coexistence.

Experiences that had shaken his sense of self and his relationships to their very roots were changing the very perspective through which he viewed himself and the world.

Shushu glanced back at Liu, who had been standing a few steps behind so as not to interrupt his contemplation. Liu sensed mischief coming. Judging by the expression on his face—lips pressed tightly together, suppressing a smile while shaking his head—teasing was sure to follow.

"What's it like dating someone who paints things like this?"

"Hmm... a feeling you wouldn't understand even if I told you?"

"Boring guy."

After his relationship with Ihyeon had been mended and they officially announced to the people around them that they were lovers, Liu had been the target of relentless teasing. The reason was that he was in an absurdly dramatic relationship that seemed entirely out of character for him.

Feeling unfairly singled out every time, Liu played dumb and countered with dry sarcasm, which prompted Shushu to turn back toward the painting with a disgruntled look.

"You really can't afford to lose Ihyeon-ssi—not as a lover, and certainly not as a gallerist."

Liu nodded deeply, indicating he knew exactly what that meant. Then he walked a few steps forward and stood beside Shushu.

"I thought I would die if I couldn't acquire it. This time it was genuinely a close call."

Shushu let out a small scoff, as if telling him not to pretend to be pained, but Liu was serious. It wasn't simply possessiveness as a lover; as a collector who cherished art, his desire to own this particular piece was exceptional.

"So it's already sold?"

"He's an artist causing a stir in Paris, and this is his first exhibition in Korea. Many people wanted to buy it without even seeing the work."

"And you held back? That's admirable. Real patience worthy of praise."

Shushu casually draped an arm over his shoulder and gave it a playful pat.

"I'm just waiting for it to hit the secondary market. What patience are you talking about?"

"You're learning to control your impulses. There's potential for growth."

Liu nudged his side with an elbow and laughed, shaking his head dismissively. Just as the playful mood began to fade, Shushu strolled toward the other pieces and said casually,

"Actually, about two weeks ago? Seon-yu visited the studio once."

"......"

"He came to say thank you for connecting him with the opportunity to hold the exhibition, and brought a piece as a gift."

After returning to Korea, Hong Seon-yu had been searching for a gallery to host an exhibition, but quietly disappeared without any success. By then, Ihyeon had already left for Paris, Liu was no longer in a state to devote energy to other people's affairs, and Shushu had stopped mentioning Seon-yu's name altogether.

More than a year passed. As the name Hong Seon-yu—and the unfavorable impression the Korean art world held toward it—gradually faded from memory, his first exhibition under the name "Hong Seon-yu," rather than "SEONEW," was held at a small private gallery in the metropolitan area. Shushu had arranged it.

"He said he wanted to... start over with me. That he'd been thinking about it a lot during that time."

"......"

Though unintentional, Liu's steps halted without him realizing it.

"Don't make that face. I refused him."

"So what? It's your life and your decision. I won't interfere with whatever choice you make anymore."

Shushu smiled faintly as he watched Liu awkwardly avert his gaze and rub his jawline.

"Watching the downfall of someone I once loved with everything I had... it was bitter. It wasn't that I still had feelings for Seon-yu."

When he had first heard that story, Liu hadn't been able to believe it, nor understand it. He had focused only on the fact that Hong Seon-yu had betrayed Shushu, and had condemned Shushu for being foolish enough to try and help him even after such a betrayal. Even now, perhaps he couldn't say he fully understood.

But he could nod his head at the understanding that a deeply entangled relationship cannot be clearly judged from a few clues observed on the outside.

"His work seems to have changed a lot—probably from hitting rock bottom after losing everything. If it hadn't changed, I wouldn't have been able to connect him with the gallery. I made the introduction, but if the owner hadn't liked the work, that exhibition never would have happened."

"It's a relief, I suppose." Shushu added, deliberately keeping his tone casual, then stopped just before fully leaving the exhibition hall and looked back one last time.

It felt like watching the end of an adventure or a journey—a lingering sadness, yet also a sense of anticipation for the ordinary days that would follow, like finishing a film. Setting aside the quality of the individual pieces, Shushu thought it was a great exhibition. He tapped Liu on the back with a smile. Liu, who had been leading the way, stopped and turned around. He took one last look at Ihyeon's work over Shushu's shoulder, then checked his wristwatch and signaled it was time to head downstairs.

The two descended the stairs and, without needing to say a word, naturally drifted toward the café located deeper inside the first floor. Unlike in the past—when visits to Phantom were mostly work-related—the café had played a significant role in increasing the frequency of Shushu's visits. Sometimes he even stopped by privately just to have a coffee and leave.

Although all of Phantom's exhibition halls were closed to visitors that day for the "Variety" exhibition, there were only a few empty seats left in the café. The entire south and west walls facing the outside had been replaced with windows, offering excellent views and natural light, and that alone had been enough to quickly establish it as a social media hotspot. For a month or two there had actually been more café customers than exhibition visitors, but things had since settled into a stable rhythm, and the gallery itself was no longer paralyzed.

Just as Juhan had intended when he first pushed for the café, many customers who came to take photos ended up browsing the exhibition afterward, and quite a few looked closely at the brochures on offer. With that result, it seemed his goal of lowering the barrier to entry for the gallery could be considered a success.

"So Juhan has completely settled into managing the café now?"

"Surprisingly, customer service seems to suit him perfectly. He's like a fish in water."

The two of them chuckled as they watched Juhan skillfully handle orders and prepare drinks all by himself behind the bar. While Shushu secured the last available window seat, Liu placed their order. Pickup was supposed to be self-service, but Juhan personally brought the tray to their table.

"Shushu, you're coming tonight, right?"

Setting down an iced coffee with rattling ice, Juhan brought it up first. His wide eyes and raised eyebrows were practically demanding their attendance.

Ihyeon and Yuni were flying in from Paris to see Liu Weikun's final exhibition at Phantom. Aside from Yuni's brief visit in December two years ago due to visa issues, this was the first time either of them had been back home. Juhan had invited acquaintances and arranged a welcome dinner for them.

"You're excited to see your soulmate after so long, Kwon Juhan."

"It seems like the real soulmate is over there now, anyway."

A hint of hurt flickered across Juhan's face as he replied drily, tucking the tray under his arm.

"Anyway, Shushu, don't even think about skipping out—you absolutely must come. Got it?"

Shushu nodded at Juhan, who was seeking repeated assurance. Only then did Juhan relax his expression, boasted that he had prepared especially delicious coffee, and left the table. Though he was pretending to be displeased that Yuni had a lover, his retreating figure looked quite cheerful.

Shushu glanced over at Liu, who checked his wristwatch once more before reaching for his coffee, and lightly stirred his drink with a stainless steel straw.

"You should have asked for a to-go cup."

"Huh?"

"The flight. I think they arrive at five?"

"Yeah."

"You should go."

"...I still have time."

"Your mind is already at the airport. You've been checking your watch for a while now."

Liu, who had been trying hard not to show it, let out a small laugh at the thought that his efforts had been entirely in vain. In truth, he felt more light-footed than Juhan looked excited. He had been in this state ever since hearing Ihyeon say he was coming to Seoul for the exhibition.

Ihyeon had mentioned that once he finished at "The Hands" he planned to do a tour of European art museums, and since they would continue to be part of the same group afterward, there was no need to strain himself adjusting his schedule—but Ihyeon had insisted on coming, showing a rare stubbornness about it.

"You see each other every single month, yet you're still this happy?"

"Me going there is different from Seo Ihyeon coming here."

Avoiding Shushu, who was teasing him with a look that suggested he didn't understand the difference, Liu stood up and took his glass of coffee with him.

As if waiting for the right moment, a visitor cautiously approached and asked Shushu if they could take a picture together. Shushu readily agreed. To avoid interrupting them, Liu exchanged a farewell with only a nod.

He walked out of Phantom holding the iced coffee that Juhan had transferred into a takeout cup. The sky above was clean, like an empty canvas. Liu put on the sunglasses he had tucked into his left breast pocket and got into the driver's seat. They were the same brand he had once gifted to Ihyeon.

· · · · ·

The two men stood just outside the center of the cascade pouring from the rain shower faucet. White foam slid down their bare skin. The abundant stream of water—falling with strong pressure like a waterfall, designed for its massage effect—continuously washed over Ihyeon's left shoulder as he stood facing the wall with his back to Liu.

Liu kissed the nape of Ihyeon's neck and his shoulders, gently scrubbing his back with a sponge squeezed full of lather. The water running down from his left shoulder along the curve of his back washed the foam away the moment it touched Ihyeon's skin.

Watching the white foam flow over his lean, toned body and disappear between the curves of his buttocks, Liu pressed his lips to the back of Ihyeon's neck and lightly bit his skin.

"Mmm, I can do that part myself."

Laughter colored Ihyeon's voice. The sponge had skipped ahead, drawn downward, gently pushing between his legs without having properly finished his back.

Liu leaned his head over Ihyeon's shoulder and asked with practiced nonchalance,

"Oh really? Can you?"

Ihyeon wiped the water from his face with his palm and turned around. Liu's face was close enough that their noses nearly touched. He let his eyelids droop, gaze dropping to Liu's lips. Wet, they looked even more enticing than usual. Perhaps that was because they hadn't seen each other in five weeks before this homecoming.

Ihyeon tilted his head back a little further and pressed his lips against Liu's. The time spent rubbing their soft, yielding flesh together was brief, but it was enough stimulation to make him crave something deeper.

"Even if you can do it yourself, isn't it better when I do it for you?"

At Liu's earnest request for agreement, Ihyeon burst out laughing and nodded. Liu followed with a low chuckle and gently bit his earlobe. The sponge, moving from his buttocks toward the front, pushed up his scrotum and stroked broadly across the inner skin of his thigh. Though Liu acted completely nonchalant, his touch was closer to caressing than to washing.

"Mm..."

At the sensation of Liu's bare hand—not the sponge—stroking over skin now slick with a mix of lather and water, Ihyeon bit down hard on his lip and closed his eyes. The sponge moved across his lower abdomen while Liu's right hand swept broadly around his buttocks. Unconsciously, Ihyeon tensed his glutes, and Liu's fingers dug into the cleft between his cheeks. Ihyeon knew immediately what Liu wanted.

Ihyeon sensed his own pheromones.

He could now clearly detect not only Liu's pheromones but his own as well. It was like a solid bath bomb slowly dissolving in warm water, gradually spreading a deeper color and scent. The more he was stimulated by Liu's desire and excitement, the more actively his own pheromones stirred.

Yet even though desire dripped from the fingers pressing and rubbing around his entrance, Liu didn't immediately move to full sex. He seemed mindful of the time they had already thrown themselves at each other, nearly desperately, before the evening dinner.

It had been five weeks since they'd seen each other in person. The moment they walked into the living room, without a word, they had clutched each other, devoured each other's lips, and practically ripped the clothes off each other.

With his hips pressed tight against Liu's lower abdomen, grinding to feed his arousal, Ihyeon had wrapped his arms around Liu's shoulders. Over Liu's shoulder, he had come face to face with his own painting, Colorful Ghost, hanging above the sofa for the first time. It felt strange to be doing this in front of his own work.

Once they moved to full penetration, the Changing couldn't be stopped, and that would mean Ihyeon would be restricted from going out because of Liu's eyes. He couldn't wear sunglasses at a dinner table with acquaintances. They had shown restraint, stopping at intense foreplay and coming only through each other's hands—but even without penetration, reaching climax three times in a row had exhausted him completely.

This was something the old Ihyeon, who had been a Beta, couldn't have possibly imagined. Even if he had somehow managed to climax three times in a short period, recovering his desire and achieving an erection again that same day would have been out of the question.

But he knew that just the brush of skin, or the intensity of Liu's gaze, was enough to instantly re-stimulate him—just as it had been since the moment he had first encountered Liu and Didi's pheromones had begun to stir.

Liu, still gently cleaning his cock with the sponge while massaging around his entrance with his right hand, seemed satisfied with just that for now and pulled back. Turning to face him, Ihyeon took Liu's shoulders and turned him around, offering to wash his back. Liu turned with a reluctant, hesitant expression, for some reason, and his back looked even firmer than before.

Ihyeon wiped the water from his face and squeezed a little more shower gel onto the sponge. Even with his arms hanging loosely, body completely relaxed, the contours of Liu's back muscles were clearly visible.

He pressed the sponge firmly into the hollow where his nape met his back. The rich, water-heavy lather streamed down all at once, tracing the groove along his spine.

His own pheromones were growing stronger in the presence of Liu's taut, well-balanced body. The intimacy still felt almost too exposed, as though his inner thoughts were being read aloud. While scrubbing the sponge over the back of Liu's unguarded shoulder, Ihyeon deliberately changed the subject.

"You were bothered by the conversation you had with Inwu hyung earlier, weren't you?"

"No. I didn't even know you two spoke privately."

The immediate, stiff response was all the proof of jealousy he needed. It seemed Liu was expressing his displeasure indirectly.

"In that case, I guess you don't need me to tell you what we talked about."

"......"

Even with Liu's back turned, Ihyeon felt like he could picture the crestfallen expression. He swallowed a laugh, pretending to clear his throat. As he stroked the lean yet firm waist with the sponge, he rested his chin on Liu's shoulder.

"As you probably expected... he was apologizing for that surprise kiss."

Before there had ever been a chance to apologize properly, everything had exploded at once—and by the time the fallout settled, Ihyeon had already left. Inwu, whom he was now meeting for the first time in nearly two years, had spoken with a noticeably changed demeanor, saying he had wanted to apologize in person for a long time.

Although they had exchanged occasional messages to check in on each other during that time, there had been a certain distance between them, unlike the easy closeness of before. Ihyeon had never tried to bridge that gap, assuming it was because Inwu felt sorry for both him and Liu.

Liu tilted his head sideways, rinsing his face under the stream of water. He turned to face Ihyeon and bent to give him a brief kiss. Then he snatched the sponge and began rubbing over Ihyeon's chest again—the part Ihyeon had already cleaned himself.

He just wanted Liu to show what he felt. Whether it was trivial or weighty, Ihyeon wanted to receive it. He placed both hands on Liu's shoulders and stroked them gently outward.

"I don't mind when you're jealous. You don't still think that I hate you... do you?"

Liu lifted the eyes that had been cast downward.

"I want to interfere, control, lock you away... Fortunately, it hasn't gotten to that point. But yes, honestly, I am bothered. It doesn't feel very good."

"You're still not uncomfortable about the kiss, are you?"

Liu wiped the water from his face and shook his head playfully.

"It's not that. I just hate even having to mention it—that kiss, that whole incident."

Once again, Liu's lips drew near at an unexpected moment. It might have been a stretch to read into it, but every time the word "kiss" came up, he was pressing his lips against Ihyeon's—as if trying to overwrite the memory of that other kiss with his own.

Ihyeon could no longer hide his smile.

"Why?"

He looped his arms around the neck of Liu, who was sulking to cover the embarrassment of having his feelings seen.

"Do you know why I like it when Awi is jealous?"

"......"

"Because he's incredibly... cute."

Liu, who was considerate in every respect to the point of being almost flawless and never threw the kind of demanding tantrum lovers sometimes did, became flustered only when others showed affection toward Ihyeon. That fact made Ihyeon smile.

Liu bit his lower lip as if suppressing a laugh and wrapped his arms around Ihyeon's waist. He looked a little awkward at being called cute, yet he didn't entirely dislike hearing it from Ihyeon.

"Now that I think about it, that's strange."

What was strange? Ihyeon asked the question with his eyes.

"Inwu is older than me, so why am I 'Director'?"

"I don't really call you 'Director' anymore..."

"Hmm, you don't call me hyung either."

A playful impulse sparked in Ihyeon.

"Should I start calling you hyung from now on?"

"I don't want to share a title with Choi Inwu."

He shook his head firmly, scrunching his brow. These expressions—ones Ihyeon was sure Liu had never shown anyone else—were endearing. He wanted to see even more of them.

Ihyeon cupped Liu's cheeks in both hands and toyed with them gently.

"I don't know about Awi, but I like times like this too. Just... the two of us chattering about silly things..."

He pulled Liu tighter against him. The gaze beneath those lowered eyelids was warm.

"I like you, so how could I not like this?"

"Don't always give me such perfectly right answers."

"......"

Liu looked down at Ihyeon with a puzzled expression, as if he didn't quite understand what was meant by that. Ihyeon pulled his wrist toward the center of the spray. They embraced, still covered in suds, and kissed. Even the water that slipped between their joined lips felt arousing.

They finished showering, deliberately ignoring their already half-hard cocks. Their bodies, slightly warm from the steam inside the stall, dried quickly in the cool air the moment they stepped out into the bathroom. Without needing to rummage through the carry-on he had brought from Paris, Liu found underwear and pajamas that Ihyeon had left downstairs, neatly organized in his dressing room.

Under the pretense of drying each other's hair, they tangled and played around for quite some time with a single hairdryer between them. By the time their hair was dry, they were both parched.

"I'd like a beer. How about you, Awi?"

"There's no beer in the bedroom fridge right now. I'll go get some."

Ihyeon urgently grabbed Liu's shoulder just as he turned toward the door.

"I'll go get it."

"......"

"You're making me feel spoiled."

Liu chuckled and ruffled Ihyeon's dry hair.

"Maybe it's okay for you to get a little spoiled."

Even as he muttered that, he readily let Ihyeon go.

The living room was bathed in moonlight, bright enough without the lights on. Before leaving with two beers, Ihyeon turned back as if drawn by something. The space was almost the same as he remembered—except that Colorful Ghost now hung where Alienation used to be.

It felt as though he had started his day here just that morning, and yet it also felt like he had been away longer than the time he had actually spent in Paris. There wasn't a single corner of the apartment that wasn't filled with memories. It was in a place like this that he had waited for him, keeping silent.

Ihyeon suddenly became aware that he was standing exactly where he had first discovered Alienation. He looked up at Colorful Ghost hanging above the sofa. It seemed pointless to try and tally what had been lost or gained, or what had been replaced by what, in the flow of time.

He smiled faintly, as if recalling a pleasant memory, then left his spot and hurried back up the stairs. He passed through the hallway—motion sensors lighting the indirect lighting as he went—and opened the bedroom door.

"......"

Ihyeon paused just as he was about to step inside barefoot. Liu was sitting loosely against the headboard, shirtless. The scene recalled something from the past. Ihyeon smiled and approached the bed.

Liu shifted further inward and patted the spot beside him. Just as Ihyeon was about to climb onto the bed, his gaze snagged on a framed picture on the bedside table.

"This one... I'm actually a little embarrassed by this one."

"Hm?"

Liu, accepting the beer, bent over and looked in the direction Ihyeon was gazing. A smile touched his face the moment he spotted the frame. He reached out his arm toward Ihyeon, who had stopped awkwardly beside the bed.

"Why? I like this one just as much as Alienation or Colorful Ghost."

"Are you serious?"

Liu's arm wrapped around Ihyeon's waist and yanked him close. Thrown off balance, Ihyeon landed squarely on Liu's thigh. Liu snatched a beer bottle from his hand and grinned.

"If Alienation is a painting of Seo Ihyeon before he knew me, then Mr. Rabbit is how Seo Ihyeon saw me."

Seeing his face light up with that boyish delight, Ihyeon couldn't help smiling too. He slid off Liu's lap and settled right beside him, facing him. They lightly clinked their bottles—which Liu had just twisted open—and quenched the thirst they had built up after showering. As he swallowed the ice-cold beer, cold enough to send a pleasant tingle through his head, Ihyeon glanced over at the drawing in the frame.

Before heading out for the evening dinner, when he had come upstairs and first discovered the Mr. Rabbit drawing in the bedroom, Ihyeon had doubted his own eyes. It felt as if someone had cast a spell across time and space. And in the very next moment, heat had crept up his face, as though a private fancy from his past—something he had indulged alone while sharply conscious of Liu's existence—had been laid bare.

Liu had explained that he had used his vacation time last summer to go to Bali. He recounted meeting Morae on Seminyak Beach, how Yeehan had joined them, how he had confessed everything about the Changing to both of them, and how the whole thing had ended with Yeehan punching him in the face.

"I felt so relieved that the people who stayed by your side while you were in silence were those two. He absolutely had the right to hit me."

Liu had said it with a smile, to Ihyeon, who hadn't known what to do.

After the European museum tour ended, there had been a plan to go to Bali for a few days of vacation, and that plan had already been discussed with Morae and Yeehan. Yet even though Liu had mentioned visiting a few times, he had never once brought up having met them there or having told them about the Changing. That was why Ihyeon had been even more surprised.

Liu set his beer bottle down, resting it across the upper part of his abdomen. He looked down at the green bottle and spoke carefully.

"Morae was a Golden."

"...Nuna was?"

"It's very rare, but there are people who figure out how to control themselves. People who can objectively observe their own state or emotions and manage them with skill."

In that case, it was entirely plausible that Morae had become a Golden without even realizing it herself. Ihyeon nodded.

"I suggested she take the test. If she were officially certified as a Golden, it would make things easier in various ways. But Morae just... laughed."

Ihyeon felt like he could almost picture exactly how Morae must have laughed at that suggestion. For her, official certification as a Golden was probably just an administrative distinction with little real significance. Whether recognized as a Golden or not, neither she nor her life would change because of it.

Liu extended his arm and wrapped his hand around the back of Ihyeon's neck. Then he pressed his forehead against Ihyeon's and smiled.

"It won't take Seo Ihyeon long to become a Golden either. Your ability to sense your own pheromones came very fast."

Lightly massaging the back of his neck, Liu pressed his lips to Ihyeon's. Like gentle creatures confirming and communing with each other, they rubbed their noses and lips together, showing affection in quiet gestures. With their lips still touching, Ihyeon whispered,

"I missed you."

"......"

Liu's face looked like someone who had just received an unexpected gift. Watching him brush his hand over his face, trying not to show how moved he was, Ihyeon felt a tremor of pain. He felt as if his own expressions were never enough to satisfy Liu emotionally.

Liu never demanded affection or pestered him for it, but Ihyeon knew that this consideration wasn't solely born of guilt over the Changing. It was simply the way Liu loved him. Even if he had done nothing wrong, he would have cherished him in exactly the same way.

"I missed you so much."

It was an awkward, direct way of putting it. Catching the intention behind even that clumsy effort to express his feelings, Liu smiled and rubbed his nose against Ihyeon's.

"I missed you very much too, Seo Ihyeon. I was so happy you were coming—but I was also frustrated that I had to wait an extra week to see you."

A relatively chaste kiss followed—more akin to a peck than a proper kiss. With a soft sound, their lips parted briefly, then met again, just slightly deeper. They were slowly moving away from chaste.

Liu savored the feel of soft flesh, shifting the angle of his jaw as he rubbed his lips against Ihyeon's, then slowly, firmly drew in his lower lip.

"Mm... ugh..."

Ihyeon groaned deep in his throat and placed a hand on Liu's bare chest. Liu pulled his face back slightly without releasing his lips. With a wet, intimate sound, Ihyeon's lips found their place again. The bitter taste of beer on their lips was gradually being overtaken by the scent of pheromones.

Tapping the top of Liu's bare chest with his fingertips, Ihyeon murmured in a voice tinged with slight uncertainty,

"Tomorrow, we're both free..."

"......"

Liu took the beer from Ihyeon's hand and set both glass bottles down on the bedside table.

"What are you planning to do, tempting me like that?"

He sighed as he swept his bangs back, then offered a playful smile. He wrapped his arms around Ihyeon's waist and pulled him back onto his lap, just as before. This was the time alone they had been waiting for all evening.

As they shared a deep kiss, Liu pushed Ihyeon's T-shirt up over his chest. Ihyeon raised his arms to help him remove it. His eyes, already dark and narrowed, instantly sharpened with arousal. He felt his own pheromones twine with the potent scent Liu was releasing. Even that alone was enough to make his lower body twitch where it pressed close against him.

Cupping Ihyeon's bare back with both hands, Liu pressed their lower bodies together and ground against him slowly. The firm swell of his cock inside his training pants was unmistakable even through the thin pajamas.

"You kept glancing down there in the shower."

Instead of staying quiet or denying it, Ihyeon gave a small, sly smile. Without hesitation, he shifted his hips, deliberately pressing back against the bulge pushing against his groin.

"You were poking around down there too... nonstop... mmph."

Ihyeon's retort was cut short. Liu's hands, which had been caressing his back, suddenly plunged inside his pajamas and gripped his buttocks firmly.

Biting gently on his earlobe as Ihyeon buried his forehead into his shoulder and caught his breath, Liu suppressed his low voice and whispered quickly,

"That's right. I was. I was trying to act composed, but honestly, I thought I was going to lose my mind from the moment we were at the airport. I was anticipating it. I even took my medication secretly as soon as we got home, without Seo Ihyeon knowing."

Since first becoming aware of his pheromones back in February, Ihyeon had been taking the suppressant prescribed for Omegas. Although the doctor had said the chance of pregnancy was extremely slim before he fully presented, Liu had been consistently taking birth control pills since then—an oral contraceptive exclusive to Alphas that worked on the acrosome and tail of sperm for a set period, preventing penetration of the egg.

But regardless of the suppressant for Omegas or the contraceptive for Alphas, the gravitational pull between Ghost and Didi remained unchanged. The two could still sense each other's pheromones and were completely unable to resist when the other's pheromones intensified beyond a certain threshold.

Since there was no existing data or literature on how the situation between Ghost and Didi would change once the Changing was complete, they had no choice but to wait and see. Even Marcus could not speculate further at this point.

But the outcome was not a particularly important issue for the two of them.

Whether their relationship settled into one purely between an Alpha and an Omega, or whether the gravitational pull between Ghost and Didi remained and layered on top of that—they were prepared for any direction.

"Ugh, mm..."

Ihyeon let out a low groan at the kiss—the one that moved between his lips, holding his upper and lower lip in turn and releasing the tension with soft, wet sounds. He gazed down at Liu from beneath heavy, languid eyelids.

Even while showering, drying each other's hair, and fooling around, he had gotten aroused and released his pheromones—but he hadn't tried to do anything about it. The thought that he had been tightly coiled with desire the whole time made Ihyeon laugh to himself. At the same time, he felt a wave of heat move through him.

Liu's hands were pulling down the waistband of his pajamas. Ihyeon lifted his hips slightly and whispered into his ear,

"You don't have to stop, no matter what I say. Pheromones... don't lie."

Even though Ihyeon had warned him in advance, he never uttered a single word of restraint during the two ejaculations and knotting that followed. On the contrary—with his honest expressions of desire and the boldness of his body—he kept Liu's composure and self-control perpetually on the edge.

Now that he could properly sense his own pheromones, Ihyeon had begun to relish a feeling of liberation rather than hesitation before sex. The problem was that sexual desire outside the normal range—driven by pheromones—could also collide with the limits of one's physical stamina.

Of course, it was Liu who did the actual work: caressing his entire body, lifting him, moving his hips, burning through his muscles. But feeling pleasure throughout his whole body for an extended stretch, in a state of extreme sexual overstimulation, could also lead to exhaustion.

Even after two rounds of knotting and ejaculation spanning several hours, Liu was still inside him. He would occasionally pull back to expel the fluid that had filled him to the point where inserting was difficult, but the moment just enough space was secured to move back and forth while seated inside, his cock would immediately block the entrance again.

Ihyeon lay exhausted on the mattress, but Liu was still not satisfied. Pressing kisses to his cheek, the nape of his neck, and his shoulder as he lay facedown, Liu wrapped an arm around Ihyeon's stomach and lifted his upper body.

They were joined, chest to back, with Liu kneeling. As the position shifted, Ihyeon felt Liu's cock find a new angle inside him and writhe.

"Hahh, ngh... ah..."

The lingering sensation from the second knotting still had Ihyeon's insides trembling faintly. When new stimulation layered on top of that, he couldn't bear it.

He felt as if he had no energy left to feel anything more, yet his pheromones were still reacting. His mind and every cell were aflame, but he had no strength left to support his body, no way to keep his knees or his lower back steady.

"It's okay. Let go of the tension and rely on me." The whisper alone sent a shiver through him. His entrance tightened on its own, and his pheromones tangled with Liu's. Ihyeon was nearly sobbing.

He had thought Liu had reached the end—but he hadn't. Liu was slowly pressing deeper into the inner walls, which were narrower than usual, slick with semen and arousal. Ihyeon wished he would just thrust hard. He wanted him to go wild like during the knotting moments ago, to shatter this agonizing tension to pieces. The slow, deliberate penetration—like embracing the stiff, dry body of a male Beta—was scorching Ihyeon's mind.

"Ah... ah!"

Ihyeon's head, which had been hanging limp, suddenly snapped back as if someone had yanked it from behind. Sparks seemed to fly from somewhere below. Liu's glans slammed against the farthest point, the final wall of his depth.

Ihyeon thought this was liberation. Now that he was fully inside, he expected a relentless pounding that would shatter his body. Being driven into limitless pleasure seemed better than this agonizing suspense.

But that wasn't what happened.

Liu paused with only half of himself inside, his hips thrusting in small, rapid strokes. Then came one heavy thrust, followed by several shallow in-and-outs before a final, deep drive all the way to the root. And the rhythm was entirely unpredictable—different every time. Ihyeon felt almost anxious about when the next deep thrust would come.

The empty space left inside him felt unbearably itchy and hollow. Only knotting seemed like it could quench this thirst. He wanted the powerful pulse of his cock—rapidly expanding and contracting—to pound against his inner walls.

It was precisely because of that knotting that his entire body had become so exquisitely sensitive that he had lost complete physical control, unable even to manage his own flowing saliva.

And yet he found himself craving another knotting.

Panting, Ihyeon lowered his head. His cock, visible in his line of sight, remained fully hard, entirely independent of his mental exhaustion. Liu's hips, pressed tight against his back and trembling, made it bob uncontrollably.

"Hah... hah."

Ihyeon twisted his shoulders and clawed at Liu's hands where they gripped his chest.

"Seo Ihyeon, what is this? What have you done?"

"Ah... hic... nngh... haah..."

Liu had stopped thrusting, but he spoke in an agitated voice. Ihyeon couldn't properly process the words. All that felt vivid was his own sobbing—raw, like an appeal.

Liu slowly pulled back once more, creating a gap between his cock and the inner wall. He was aware of the Omega instinct—the drive to stimulate an Alpha who hadn't been given enough, to push him toward ejaculation and knotting. He just hadn't experienced it before. Just as the Alpha instinct had been only theory to Liu until now.

This was different from Ihyeon's arousal fluid up to this point. It wasn't the thick, clotted fluid that had occasionally welled up before. This was much thinner, much warmer—drenching the tip and seeping rapidly between the inner wall and his cock, flowing without stopping. It was as though Ihyeon's body was releasing a golden shower not through his cock but from deep inside, pouring over him from within.

Liu felt himself boiling over.

"Ngh... no, not there—!"

As Liu's relentless thrusting continued, Ihyeon waved his hands in the air as if trying to swat away a mirage.

"Can you feel it? You're completely..."

"Stop... don't say it..."

Ihyeon shook his head and sobbed. He clearly knew what the fluid soaking his insides, his groin, his thighs, and even the sheets resembled.

Liu shook his head and rubbed his face against Ihyeon's shoulder. It felt as if he were releasing pheromones through every pore while drinking in Ihyeon's. Following where Ihyeon led him, responding to what his pheromones demanded, he had no choice but to move.

"Seo Ihyeon—what are you? How do you even know how to do this? Huh?"

"Hngh, *sob*... I didn't do anything..."

Even held firmly by Liu's arm around his upper body, Ihyeon's thighs were trembling uncontrollably. Liu lowered his hips, spread his knees, and pulled Ihyeon's waist down onto his thighs.

"Lean on me more. Sit closer."

"It's deep... this is too deep..."

As Liu gently rocked their bodies up and down to soothe Ihyeon, who was crying like a child, the internal movement stimulated him further, and Ihyeon cried even more pitifully.

"It's... it's knotting again. I hate it..."

"It's not knotting, Ihyeon. I'm the one moving."

To calm him, Liu pressed several kisses to the side of his ear. Ihyeon's pheromones poured out an overwhelming, heavy scent signaling that he craved stronger pleasure—and yet his lips kept denying it.

Meanwhile, thin, clear fluid continued to seep along the edges of the cock filling them together. The taut ridge of Liu's thigh was completely soaked, glistening obscenely. Liu had to hold Ihyeon's chest and lower abdomen even tighter to keep him from slipping.

When Ihyeon felt the sensation of his inner walls being pushed outward, his belly swelling with it, he opened his eyes wide and thrashed his limbs.

"Ah! Hah! You said it wasn't knotting—but..."

"I'm sorry. I am. It really wasn't just a moment ago... I'm sorry, Ihyeon."

"Kun... *sob*."

Fumbling, Ihyeon found Liu's left hand—the one with the ring—and gripped it. As he called Liu's name over and over with their fingers tightly interlocked, Liu answered him again and again. Pressing kisses to his ear, stroking his chest, caressing between his legs—they passed through the knotting together.

Drawn deeper inside, control crumbling, pulled by irresistible pheromones into the only form of union his body could crave.

So this is what it means to be an Alpha.

Liu found it almost absurd that he was only now—well past thirty—thinking this. His life as an Alpha had been lived in complete ignorance of what that actually meant, rendering even the title of Golden Alpha hollow. He had believed, rigidly, that suppression and concealment were the only way. Those beliefs might never have broken open if he had not met Ihyeon.

Liu felt a fresh, boundless affection for the presence in his arms. Like the sea's endless longing for the shore—throwing itself onto the beach over and over, breaking apart, being absorbed—he knew his love for Ihyeon would never run dry. Pressing his lips against the bare shoulder before him, Liu spoke his love without a sound.

· · · · ·

When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurrier than usual.

Liu recognized that the hazy, unfamiliar sensation was the aftermath of last night's Changing, so he closed his eyes again and reached his arm toward the space beside him. But nothing met his hand.

Liu sat up. His bare skin, exposed outside the sheets, felt cool from the air conditioning running on sleep mode.

He had wanted to linger in bed a while longer, caressing Ihyeon's warm body, but he scrubbed his face several times to shake off the sleep. Then, with a dissatisfied look, he rested his chin on his hand and stared at the empty space beside him.

"......"

As if the occupant hadn't been gone long, a single sheet of paper lay on the pillow, which hadn't yet fully regained its shape. It was a page torn from a painting notebook.

╭────

I'll be in the garden.

While I was watching your sleeping face,

you were so handsome I had to draw you.

Isn't this better than Mr. Rabbit?

╰────

When Liu flipped over the note—which seemed to have been deliberately written large with a permanent marker to accommodate his eyesight—the back displayed a croquis sketch of Liu himself, captured with bold, confident lines emphasizing his features.

The emptiness in his chest vanished. He got out of bed with a quiet chuckle. His plan was to make up for having their morning stolen by smothering Ihyeon with hugs and kisses.

After a quick rinse in the shower, he headed straight downstairs. The front door, visible directly from the staircase, was wide open. Unlike the air-conditioned bedroom, the air drifting in from outside was already humid, even at this hour of the morning.

"Hmm..."

The desk clock he had checked before going to the bathroom showed it was well past eleven—late by any measure to still be calling it morning. Then again, he had good reason for sleeping in. Recalling the special intimacy that had lasted until dawn, Liu swept his uncombed hair back and chuckled once more.

Just as expected, Ihyeon was in the garden, watering the plants.

Postponing his plan to punish Ihyeon with kisses for a moment, Liu leaned against the doorframe of the front entrance.

For a while after Ihyeon left, the garden had fallen into neglect. Then it had become unbearable to watch the space he had watered and tended fall into disarray. Liu had periodically watered it himself and even trimmed the branches with pruning shears, but it had never looked as vibrant as when Ihyeon took care of it.

Watching Ihyeon's back—more focused on creating rainbows with the water gun than on actually watering—Liu realized the problem was never purely a matter of gardening skill. Perhaps he had known it, somewhere underneath, even back then. He had simply buried that thought, because examining every single reason why would have made it impossible to endure.

It was early summer, before the real heat had fully settled in. The plump, green leaves and Ihyeon's silhouette arcing rainbows with the water gun. They were about ten meters apart, so every outline was hazily blurred, but the freshness emanating from him was as sharp and clear as a line drawn with a permanent marker.

He remembered standing right here, watching this exact scene, sometime before he had been forced to let Ihyeon go. Back then, Liu had not been able to smile looking at Ihyeon's back. That was what made this moment feel even more precious.

It was a scene he could have gazed upon forever.

He walked into that scene. It was dazzling, but he didn't want to put on sunglasses. That felt like a kind of privilege. Lowering his footsteps as he approached, Liu hugged Ihyeon's bare torso from behind, holding on tight.

"Was I ugly while I was sleeping? Next time, draw me while I'm awake. I'm sure I can do better than Kwon Juhan."

Ihyeon laughed and stroked Liu's arm.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Mm. I slept well, thanks to working out in bed until dawn... but it was lonely waking up without Seo Ihyeon next to me."

Liu's voice, which had been chattering while he held Ihyeon with his chin resting on his shoulder, suddenly cut off. In the garden, the only sound was the water arching up and falling onto the grass.

"Ihyeon-ah..."

His voice trembled around the name. If he didn't say it, he felt like he might suffocate from the scent that had instantly filled his lungs. No—that was an illusion. Ihyeon wasn't releasing any pheromones.

Ihyeon turned off the water gun and turned to face him. A few residual drops fell from the nozzle before it went still.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you my decision clearly—the way Awi did."

Liu knew Ihyeon worried about his own awkwardness when it came to expressing affection. But contrary to that worry, Liu had never considered it a flaw. Whispering love at every moment didn't make it deeper. And besides, when it came to the things that truly mattered—the things that needed to be said clearly—Ihyeon had never stayed silent or vague.

On a snow-covered street in Paris one night, Ihyeon had clearly told him not to go. When Liu had come with his father's painting, Ihyeon had told him directly how unbearable it would have been to face that painting alone, and how grateful he was that Liu had stayed.

Above all, Ihyeon had forgiven him and accepted him again. There could be no greater love than that.

"But if I can be a little greedy... this ring itself is my heart, my love. I hope it reaches Awi."

Liu forced a smile onto his frozen expression and lightly tapped Ihyeon's cheek.

"See? You make sure to say what needs to be said clearly."

"......"

Ihyeon tilted his head, his expression asking what Liu meant.

"It means Seo Ihyeon is perfectly fine exactly as he is now. There's nothing that needs to change."

"That doesn't seem quite right..."

Even after already giving what had seemed like the greatest love possible—a love that seemed impossible to surpass—Ihyeon was giving something even bigger. Not wanting to show tears, Liu turned Ihyeon around and hugged him from behind again. As Liu smiled and pressed his lips to the crown of Ihyeon's head, Ihyeon asked,

"Why are you smiling?"

"It reminded me of something that happened at our restaurant a long time ago."

"Ah..."

Ihyeon, who understood from just that small hint, laughed along with him.

In early spring, when new buds were beginning to sprout in Buttes-Chaumont Park where they had walked, the two of them had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel where Liu had proposed. It was to celebrate Ihyeon's birthday. Since it was lunchtime, bright light poured in through the restaurant's greenhouse-like ceiling.

The next table appeared to be holding a business lunch that doubled as a meeting. Liu hadn't paid much attention at first, since the tables weren't particularly close together, but it began to feel as though one of the men kept stealing glances in their direction.

Whether it was his imagination or not, when the man's companions briefly excused themselves, he approached Liu with an almost solemn formality.

He explained that he had been searching for the ideal wedding ring for several weeks. The wedding was less than a month away, but his partner was apparently unwilling to compromise on the ring.

The man's earnest gaze dropped to Liu's left hand, and he asked, very carefully, whether Liu might tell him the brand and model of the ring.

Liu and Ihyeon glanced at each other. The man seemed to take Liu's pause as awkwardness.

He apologized repeatedly, acknowledging that it was entirely inappropriate to ask about someone else's wedding ring—but explained that he was so desperate he had committed the rudeness anyway.

"No, it's not really like that..."

They had had a few episodes involving rings before, but nothing quite like this.

Liu let his words trail off, gently took Ihyeon's left hand where it rested on the table, and asked,

"What do you think? Is it okay if I tell him?"

The man couldn't hide his shock, openly glancing back and forth between Liu's hand and Ihyeon's. It must have been an involuntary reaction born of sheer surprise. Since only one of them was wearing a ring, it hadn't been unreasonable to assume that the person seated across—Ihyeon—wasn't Liu's partner. It was understandable.

"I wonder if that person managed to get the ring safely."

"Hmm, I don't know."

Liu answered absently, rubbing his lips against the crown of Ihyeon's head. He had brought up the old memory to have something to smile at, so he wouldn't show tears—but coherent thought wasn't quite possible.

Ihyeon, who had been leaning his back against Liu's chest and gazing up at the oak tree, wondering what Liu was thinking about so intently, finally spoke quietly.

"The diary... did Awi read all the way to the end?"

Liu answered after a brief pause.

"Back then, I had to grasp at any straw I could find. I reread it several times, hoping there might be some clue that could reverse what had happened. Though there was no antidote for what I was looking for."

"Did that person and Erich meet in Florence?"

"......"

Liu swept Ihyeon's bangs back with his left hand. Then, pressing his forehead gently to tilt Ihyeon's head back, he gave him a quick, sealing kiss.

"Well..."

Ihyeon straightened up, lightly nudged Liu's side with his elbow, and turned around. His face was full of smiles.

"Is 'well' the answer to every question?"

"Ask me if I love you."

Liu puffed out his chest with a confident expression. Ihyeon shrugged as if in disbelief and laughed.

The someone who had planted the identity of "Ghost"—an identity he had never wanted—onto him had, mockingly, hidden Didi somewhere in this vast universe. There had been a time when Liu stayed alone in this house, resenting that person just as much as he resented himself. But if Ihyeon had forgiven him, then he too had to find some tolerance toward that person.

Ihyeon suddenly moved close. They were close enough for his face to be completely clear.

"Kun."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"......"

Liu stood there, hands hanging limply at his sides. As if a little embarrassed, Ihyeon tilted his head and smiled. A sweet ache spread from the place in his chest where Ihyeon had struck. It was a sight he could have gazed upon forever and still never been satisfied.

End of the Diamond Dust side story.